Share

SAA wants to drive aviation growth in Africa

Miami - South African Airways (SAA) wants to focus on growing its African network and improving interconnectivity on the continent.

SAA said it has a crucial role to play in driving aviation traffic growth and economic development.

Nico Bezuidenhout, SAA's acting CEO, emphasised that the company’s goal is to increase its revenue in the region by 30% in the next 12 months.

Bezuidenhout was speaking at the International Air Transport Association (Iata) annual general meeting in Miami.

"Africa is a huge potential market for aviation and as Africa’s legacy airline, we want to see the continent contribute to more than the current 3% of global aviation,” said Bezuidenhout.

SAA is already strengthening its position in West Africa with the launch of a new service between Accra, Ghana and Washington DC in the US.

Starting August 3 2015, SAA will be providing the only nonstop flight between Ghana and Washington DC, as well as the only Skytrax 4-Star rated airline service from the entire West Africa region to North America.

SAA entered into a bilateral codeshare agreement with Africa World Airlines. This airline partnership will offer SAA customers from Washington and Johannesburg seamless connectivity via Accra to other destinations in Ghana such as Kumasi, Takoradi, and Tamale as well as to Lagos, Nigeria.

Bezuidenhout said SAA has improved its performance since its 90-day action plan was completed, "with a material year-on-year improvement noticeable in the current financial year" which commenced in April 2015.

The plan included major cost-cutting initiatives and network optimisation, which led to significant savings. SAA is now ready to boost its capacity and focus on its African routes.   

“In the first quarter of 2015, a lot of effort went into stabilising our airline and we achieved significant milestones. We now want to grow our capabilities and better connect South Africa to the rest of the continent,” said Bezuidenhout.

* Fin24 is an Iata guest at its AGM. 

        
We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
19.02
-0.6%
Rand - Pound
23.97
-0.3%
Rand - Euro
20.53
-0.3%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.35
-0.0%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.6%
Platinum
894.10
-0.3%
Palladium
996.00
-0.6%
Gold
2,196.05
+0.1%
Silver
24.45
-0.8%
Brent Crude
86.09
-0.2%
Top 40
67,848
+0.3%
All Share
74,067
+0.2%
Resource 10
56,251
+1.1%
Industrial 25
103,518
+0.2%
Financial 15
16,466
-0.4%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders